Direct Lithium Extraction from Geothermal Brines for Sustainable Energy
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Summary
Problems
Current methods for lithium extraction from geothermal brines, particularly in binary cycle geothermal plants, face challenges in managing brine chemistry and scaling issues, making it difficult to economically extract lithium while maintaining the integrity of the geothermal energy production and ensuring environmentally friendly re-injection practices.
Innovation solutions
A system and process integrating a binary cycle geothermal plant with a direct lithium extraction circuit, lithium chloride concentration and purification circuit, and lithium battery chemical processing circuit, utilizing adsorption, ion exchange, and solvent extraction to produce battery-quality lithium hydroxide monohydrate or lithium carbonate, while co-generating zero-carbon electricity and heat, and employing brine pre- and post-conditioning to manage brine chemistry and prevent scaling.
TRIZ Analysis
Specific contradictions:
General conflict description:
Principle concept:
If evaporative processes are used to extract lithium from brines, then lithium can be crystallized and produced, but the process becomes economically inefficient for brines with low lithium concentrations and high impurity levels
Why choose this principle:
The patent applies direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology that selectively extracts lithium from brine using adsorption materials, ion exchange resins, or solvent extraction agents. This method separates lithium from the brine matrix without requiring large-scale evaporation, enabling economical processing of low-concentration brines with high impurity content by targeting only the lithium component for removal.
Principle concept:
If evaporative processes are used to extract lithium from brines, then lithium can be crystallized and produced, but the process becomes economically inefficient for brines with low lithium concentrations and high impurity levels
Why choose this principle:
The invention modifies brine chemistry parameters (pH, temperature, composition) to optimize conditions for selective lithium extraction while preventing scaling. By adjusting these parameters, the process achieves efficient lithium recovery from low-concentration brines without the economic penalties of traditional evaporative methods.
Application Domain
Data Source
AI summary:
A system and process integrating a binary cycle geothermal plant with a direct lithium extraction circuit, lithium chloride concentration and purification circuit, and lithium battery chemical processing circuit, utilizing adsorption, ion exchange, and solvent extraction to produce battery-quality lithium hydroxide monohydrate or lithium carbonate, while co-generating zero-carbon electricity and heat, and employing brine pre- and post-conditioning to manage brine chemistry and prevent scaling.
Abstract
A system and process for direct lithium extraction from geothermal brines, and more particular to the sequential combination of a binary cycle geothermal plant, a direct lithium extraction circuit, a lithium chloride concentration and purification circuit, and a lithium battery chemical processing circuit, for the production of battery-quality lithium hydroxide monohydrate, lithium carbonate or both from geothermal brines. The processing circuits are powered by the electricity and heat produced by the binary cycle geothermal plant without the use of carbon-based fuels. Non-condensable gases that may come out of solution from the geothermal brine are not emitted into the atmosphere.